Chrysanthemum plant named MN 92-333-2

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named MN92-333-2 is provided.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinctive chrysanthemumplant, hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name MN92-333-2. This newcultivar was the result of a cross in 1989 between Chrysanthemumweyrichii and Chrysanthemum morifolium. More specifically, the breedingprogram which resulted in the production of the new cultivar was carriedout at St. Paul, Minn. The female or seed parent of 92-333-2 was aChrysanthemum weyrichii, commercially available from White Flower Farms,Conn. having the following characteristics: (a) the plant habit isprostrate and the plant spreads via rhizomes to form a large mat afterthe first year; (b) the plant dimensions are that the plant has adiameter of about 1.5′ and is about 5-6″ tall; (c) the plant is hardy inzones 4-9 (Southeast)/Zone 10 (west); (d) the flower of the plant is asingle daisy, having light lavender-colored ray florets and central discflorets with yellow pollen; (e) the plant has leaves that are dark greenin color, with a very shiny leaf surface (glossy), and glabrous leafmargins that are deeply incised; and (d) the plant tends to rosette,needs cold treatment to flower consistently, flowering can be sporadicwith gaps in the plant architecture and the plant is an obligateshort-day plant. The male or pollen parent of 92-333-2 was aChrysanthemum morifolium which is commercially available from YoderBrothers, Inc., Barberton, Ohio having the following characteristics:(a) the plant habit is cushion; (b) the plant dimensions are that theplant is similar to other cushion types commercially available fromYoder Brothers, Inc., such as, but not limited to the variety, ‘Raquel’;(d) the plant is hardy in zones 6-9 (Southeast)/Zone 10 (west); (d) theflower is a single or duplex daisy, possibly orange or bronze rayflorets, central disc florets with yellow pollen; (e) the plant hasleaves that are similar to other Yoder Brothers, Inc. cushion serieschrysanthemums; and (d) the plant is a facultative short-day plant. Theresulting seed, identified as 90-287-16 was collected. In 1991, a plantof 90-287-16 was crossed as the male parent with plants identified as90-147-10, a University of Minnesota inbred parental selection, as thefemale parent and the resulting seeds, identified as cross number 92-333were collected. In 1992, plants of 92-333 were germinated and floweringprogeny evaluated. 92-333-2 was the second plant from the cross and wasselected during the fall of 1992. The parentage of the new cultivar canbe summarized as follows:

Chrysanthemum weyrichii×Chrysanthemum morifolium

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by terminal or stem cuttingstaken 1993 through 1999 at St. Paul, Minn., U.S.A. has demonstrated thatthe characteristics of the new cultivar as herein described are firmlyfixed and are retained through successive generations of such asexualpropagation.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

It was found that the cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits extreme hybrid vigor,

(b) develops, in its second and subsequent years after planting, whengrown in the fall under natural daylength and without the application ofgrowth regulators, into a flowering herbaceous shrub having a plantheight of from about 3.0 to about 3.75 feet and a spread from about 3.7to about 6.0 feet,

(c) exhibits, in its second and subsequent years after planting andduring the fall season (August-October), a massive floral display,

(d) displays flowers which are slightly toned with grey, giving theflower petals a slightly altered coloration,

(e) exhibits superior winter hardiness, including frost tolerance,

(f) exhibits self-pinching, and

(g) exhibits a less facultative, short-day response.

The 92-333-2 cultivar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that thephenotype may vary somewhat with variations in the environment, such astemperature, light intensity, and day length.

When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to ‘EmpireSalsa’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 9,578, it is found to exhibit a morespreading and prolific habit accompanied with a massive floral displayin its second and subsequent years after planting. Reference is made toTable 1 below which compares certain characteristics of 92-333-2 to‘Empire Salsa’.

TABLE 1 CHARACTERISTIC 92-333-2 ‘Empire Salsa’ Capitulum form and typeDuplex/triplex daisy Flat daisy Plant Height About 1.8 to 2.0 feet 9 to11 inches (first year) About 3.0 to 3.75 feet (Second year) BranchingPattern Spreading and very prolific Spreading Flowering Response 6 weeks7 weeks Flower diameter 60 to 9 cm 6 to 6.4 cm Ray florets, color,mature Red Red-purple

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs show as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in color illustrations of this type, typicalflower and foliage characteristics of the new cultivar. The plants weregrown in a greenhouse at St. Paul, Minn., USA.

FIG. 1 shows an adaxial and abaxial views of the leaf shape ofchrysanthemum variety 92-333-2.

FIG. 2 shows the breeding history of chrysanthemum variety 92-333-2.

FIG. 3 is a color photograph of chrysanthemum variety 92-333-2 after oneyear of growth.

FIG. 4 is a color photograph of chrysanthemum variety 92-333-2 after twoyears of growth.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described herein is TheR.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London, England.The color values were determined on Jan. 13, 2003 in St. Paul, Minn. Thereadings were taken between 11:00 and 1:00 p.m. under approximately 2500footcandles of light. The plants were produced from cuttings taken fromstock plants and were grown under greenhouse conditions comparable tothose used in commercial practice while utilizing a soilless growthmedium and maintaining temperatures of approximately 72° F. during theday and approximately 65° F. during the night.

Propagation:

Type.—Herbaceous stem cutting.

Time to rooting.—About 1 week.

Rooting habit.—Vigorous.

Botanical classification: Chrysanthemun hybrid cv. ‘MN92-333-2’.

Commercial classification: Chrysanthemum hybrid.

Plant description:

Appearance, shape.—Mounded, spherical.

Appearance, growth habit.—Mound.

Appearance, growth rate/vigor.—Vigorous.

Plant height.—About 1.8 to about 2.0 feet (first year) about 3.0 toabout 3.75 feet (second year).

Lateral branch length.—0.5 to 3 feet.

Quantity of lateral branches after removal of apical meristem.—One pernode.

Stem color.—RHS Green Group 138B.

Foliage description:

Number of leaves per plant.—Greater than about 3,000.

Number of leaves per lateral branch.—3 to 25.

Leaf arrangement.—Alternate.

Leaf size, fully expanded, length.—5 cm.

Leaf size, fully expanded, width.—4 cm.

Leaf apex.—Acute.

Leaf base.—Truncate to auriculate.

Leaf margin.—Incised.

Leaf textures.—Glaucous/hirsute.

Petiole length.—3 to 5 cm.

Color, young foliage adaxial surface.—RHS Green Group 138A.

Color, young foliage abaxial surface.—RHS Green Group 138C.

Color, fully expanded foliage adaxial surface.—RHS Green Group 135B.

Color, fully expanded foliage abaxial surface.—RHS Green Group 141B.

Color, venation adaxial surface.—RHS Green Group 138B.

Color, venation abaxial surface.—RHS Green Group 138C.

Color, petiole.—RHS Green Group 138C.

Phyllary description:

Appearance.—The involucral bracts (phyllaries) are crenulate.

Color.—RHS Green Group 138C.

Texture.—Glabrous.

Size.—Approximately 0.2-0.4 cm in length.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Head (composite); duplex/triplex daisy.

Flowering response.—6 weeks (SD).

Quantity of inflorescences.—About 5,000 (second year).

Inflorescence size, diameters.—6 to 9 cm.

Inflorescence size, depth (height).—2 to 3 cm.

Inflorescence size, diameter of disc.—1.2 to 3 cm.

Opening inflorescences, bud shape.—Upright, tubular.

Opening inflorescences, bud size, length.—1.75 to 2 cm.

Opening inflorescences, bud size, width.—1.25 to 1.8 cm.

Opening inflorescences, bud color.—RHS Red Purple Group 60D.

Ray florets, shape.—Daisy.

Ray florets, size, length.—2.1 to 3 cm.

Ray florets, size, width.—0.75 to 0.9 cm.

Ray florets, apex.—Obtuse.

Ray florets, base.—Cuneate.

Ray florets, margins.—Entire.

Ray florets, texture.—Glabrous.

Ray florets, aspect.—Horizontal to slightly pendant.

Number of ray florets per inflorescence.—About 68 to about 72.

Ray florets, color, when opening, adaxial surface.—RHS Red Purple Group60.

Ray florets, color, when opening, abaxial surfaces.—RHS Red Purple Group74.

Ray florets, color, mature, adaxial surfaces.—RHS Red Group 53C.

Ray florets, color, mature, abaxial surface.—RHS Purple Group 78D.

Ray florets, color, fading to.—RHS Red Group 40D.

Disc florets, shape.—Tubular, rounded at tip.

Disc florets, size, length.—0.4 cm (unopened) 0.4 cm (opened).

Disc florets, size, width.—0.1 cm (unopened) 0.2 cm (opened).

Number of disc florets per inflorescence.—About 120.

Disc florets, color, immature.—RHS Yellow Orange Group 16A.

Disc florets, color, mature.—RHS Yellow Orange Group 15B.

Peduncle, aspect, strength.—Stiff.

Peduncle, aspect, angle to stem.—45.

Peduncle, length, first peduncle.—3.2 cm.

Peduncle, length, fourth peduncle.—8.4 cm.

Peduncle, texture.—Ribbed, mildly hirsute.

Peduncle, color.—RHS Green Group 138A.

Reproductive organs, androecium, floret location.—Disc florets.

Anther colors.—RHS Yellow Orange Group 21B.

Pollen, abundance.—Abundant.

Pollen, color.—RHS Yellow Orange Group 21A.

Reproductive organs, gynoecium, floret location.—Disc/ray florets.

Style color.—RHS Yellow Orange Group 7A.

Disease resistance: MN-92-333-2 has not been tested for any diseasesuspectibility, tolerance or resistance.

Seed production and fruit: About 192 ovules/flower. The fruit is anachene, a dry, indehiscent fruit with a single locule and a single seed,and with the seed attached to the ovary wall at a single point. Theachene does not have any pappus of awns for bristles; its general shapeis a half-inflated football oval with pointed ends. Seed size is about0.2-0.5 cm in length and about 0.1-0.2 cm in width. The surface textureis ridged. The color designation for the seed is RHS Brown Group 200D.

Winter hardiness: Hardy in zones 3-10 in uncovered field conditionswithout the need for added protection such as snow fences, mulch, etc.

Frost tolerance: Yes, extends blooming season to the first freeze in thenorth (In zones 3-4 the first frost usually takes place betweenSeptember 1-15. In zones 3-4, the first freeze usually takes placebetween October 1-20).

Fragrance: Fragrance is noticeable when handling or bruising thefoliage.

Longevity of the bloom: Flower longevity is temperature dependent. Undernormal conditions in the field, during the fall season, flowers willtypically last about 2-4 plus weeks.

What is claimed is:
 1. A new and distinct plant as herein described andillustrated.